Themes
- Mental health
- Mental wellbeing
- Stigma
Objectives
- This workshop challenges participants to think about the state of mental health, stigma against mental illness and way to strengthen mental wellbeing. Participants will then create ways to express these ideas to others through posters or short comics.
- To consider the role mental wellbeing plays in our everyday life
- To dismantle stigma surrounding mental health
- To reflect on how we can help de-stigmatise mental illness
- To find creative ways to promote practises that strengthen mental wellbeing
Duration
- 15 Minutes : Giving Input about the implementation of the workshop
- 45 Minutes : Group Work
- 30 Minutes : Debriefing and evaluation
Materials
- Thin paper for sketching
- Heavyweight paper for creating the final outcome (190 – 250gr)
- Pencils for sketching
- Pens
- Thick string and strong needle for sowing the comics together
- Colour pencils, coloured markers or paint to add color to the works (optional)
- Containers for water to use with the paint (optional)
- Paintbrushes (optional)
Recommended Method
Fold some of the heavy weight paper into half to use in making the comics. Make 2 to 3 holes in the fold to make it easter to sow the comics together at the end of the workshop. If needed cut some of the heavy weight paper to the size that you want the posters to be. Set all the pencils and pens up in the workshop area. If you choose to add paint to your workshop you should also fill containers with water and set up in the workshop area along with paint and paintbrushes.
1.Explain that the aim of the workshop is to create a poster or a short comic book to promote practises to strengthen mental wellbeing or help de-stigmatise mental illness.
2.Start with a round of introductions where participants share one thing they do to strengthen their mental wellbeing, for example meet friends, spend time with family, exercise or pursue hobbies.
3.Divide participants into four brainstorming cells of 3 to 5 people. The groups will share ideas through discussion. At this stage there will be a strict “all ideas are good ideas” rule; the groups should not discount any ideas at this stage and everyone should get a chance to chip in. All editing will be done at a later stage.
4.Have the groups briefly present all the ideas they came up with.
5.Now participants will choose an idea to work with and whether they want to present it as a poster or a short comic. Encourage participants to partner up, especially if they want to make a comic, but it should not be mandatory.
6.Participants will start sketching on the thin paper to visualize what they want to make. At this point editing will come in, participants can be critical of the ideas and how they are presenting them.
7.Once participants are happy with their sketches they can move on to the thick paper and start working on the final presentation of their ideas. Stage 6 and 7 should take at least an hour of the workshop, preferably 1.5 hours.
8.At the end of the workshop participants will display their ideas at the venue of the workshop.
Debriefing and evaluation
Ask participants to explain the idea they were working with and why they chose to present it in the way that they did.
Did this change their perspective on mental illnesses or mental wellbeing?
Did they find they knew more or less about the subject than they originally thought they did?
Suggestions for follow up
The workshop can end in an exhibition where the participants get a chance to discuss and explain the ideas amongst themselves and/ or with people invited to attend the exhibition.
